‘What ban?’ Uber, Ola bike riders clueless about Delhi govt order

A day after the Transport Department of Delhi asked app-based mobility players such as Uber, Ola, and Rapido to stop their bike taxi services, two-wheeler rides were available on all three apps as usual, with drivers clueless about the order.

“What ban? Is it only for bikes, or are cabs banned, too?” asked 26-year-old Rahul Kumar during a trip from Sarita Vihar to ITO on Tuesday afternoon. When told about the Delhi government’s directive, and the fine if caught, he was shocked.

“Rs 5,000! That’s my savings in two weeks. Do they want us to be jobless?” said Kumar, a native of Bhagalpur in Bihar, who works at Shahi Exports in Faridabad, but decided to become a partner-rider with Uber on the side because his salary of Rs 12,000 a month wasn’t enough to support his family of seven back home.